The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-13
Mr.. WILLIAM O'BRIEN
MAKES A RINGING, ELOQUENT
SPEECH In QUEBEC.
Telling the Pathetic Story OF the
Tenants on the LaBdsdOwne
Estates,
AND HOLDS IF HE is WRONG IN
INVITING THEIR
Condemn alton, Then the CauadiIn
Parliament Is Wrong In De-
nOunciBg Coercion.

QUEBEC, ONT, May 12.-In bis
speech here tonight Mr.. O'Brien said
he bad to express his acknowledge
ments not merely to his friends, tut
to his opponents, for the coui tesy and
fair play he had received up to the
present time. He believed that a
good many pre- JUDGES and misunder-
standings which had arisen with re-
ference TO his visit were being already
dispelled, and expressed his corfi'
dsnCe that the more the subject was
thrsshed out the more severely every
humane and liberty loving man In
Canada would condemn the conduct
OF Lord Lansdowne, and the more
they would recognizes that his visit
was the only means left to avert
the total 2 destruction OF an entire
community Of oppressed and cruelty
wronged tenna's. The Irish PEG.
pie had not sought this qearrel with
Lord Lansdowne. He hid himse I
forced 1t by making himself the cham.
pion and the standard bearer OF the
worst and most inhuman cless OF rack
renters 10 Ireland. Hitees "The
Montreal Herald" be continued, took
up the position--wi,h which DO not
for moment quarrel-thst the Cana.
dian people would not tale, on the
statement OF others, the assertion that
Lord Lansdowne was as black ss he
was painted until the other side WI s
heard from. / invite and challenge
Lord Lansdowne to answer or dis
pute a single fact which the Her
aid says should not be accepted I'M
til he has had en- opportunity OF
doing this. Lord Lansdowne need
not seriously shelter himAalf uadsr
the plea that his official position pre-
vented him from defe lding himself
In free country like THE the prsss is
as open to him as to any one, Zap.
plause, and az a matter of fact Lord
Lansdowne las already very sign Fl
csnily availed himself OF the ordinary
channels OF newspaper defense. He
has on more than one occasion
through interviews and communiq 1es
cfficel done his utmost to pr, Juice
the Canadian people With reference to
my visit hisses and he cannot now
pretend so to wrap bimeelf up
in majesty as to decline 10 de-
fend himself against an indicimen ut
which, il unanswered, will bring upon
him II e reprobstion OF Canadian pub
lie opinion. [Applaufe The fact is,
Lord Lausdowne's trouD,e lie not that
he has been debarred from defending
himeelf, but the defe nse which he has
already offered is a WE ak, a misleading
aud lame defense. Renewed
applause Not only 1as Lord
Llnsdowne literally ava led him.
self of newspaper interviews
in his own defense, but his sgent, one
OF the most astute Of living men, did
exhaust all he resources OF his inge.
nuity through the Atlantic cable to
obscure and prejudice the judgment
OF the Canadian people in the interest
Of bis master. Kisses. Lord Lans-
downe wants not 30 much advocates
in the press as material 10 supply
them with an ado quste answer. The
only refuge now Of his defenders ap-
pears to be in the absurd notion that
1t is as Governor General of
Canada, and not as an Irish
evictOr that am here to arrsign him.
Lord Lansdowne has himself forgotten
his high Office as the Governor OF q
free people when he carried, and is
carrying out in Ireland proceedings In
direct violation OF the principles which
the Canadian Parliament has time aud
aVsin affirmed with relation to Ireland
II l be wrong in inviting public con-
domination Of the Luggaourrsn evic-
tions, then the members OF
the Canadian Parliament were wrong
in presenting resolutions denounc'
ing the infamous landlords and the
coercive system OF Ireland. | bold
on the contrary that II is the highest
right and duty constitutionally Of q
nation enjoying the blessings OF self
government to know whether the
ruler OF their country was not himself
forgetting the very IN justice which the
Canadian Parliament deprecated aud
sbhorred. Either they ought to ex-
punge their resolutions Of sympathy
for Ireland from the books OF the
Canadian Parliament or they ought to
acknowledge that their ruler should
pay q little more Difference to the
PRINCIPLES enuncisted by the repre-
sentatives Of the Canadian peo-
pie. [Cheers. The days are
gone by when the Irish teDantry
will submit to eviction with detected
and hopeless hearts. We know that
no Irish exterminator can now fud in
all the world around a spot where he
can hide his hesd from the judgment